It’s primary Election Day in Colorado. Voters will be weighing in on races up and down the ballot that will decide the future of our state.
Among the big contests that will be decided Tuesday: the primaries for governor, U.S. Senate, eight U.S. House seats and dozens of positions in the Colorado legislature.
The candidates who win will advance to the general election in November. Because of Democrats’ dominance in Colorado, many of the candidates who win on Tuesday are expected to cruise into the offices they’re running for.
If you haven’t voted yet, don’t worry. There’s still time — and we will walk you through the process. If you have voted and you’re just looking for where to find results, we can help with that, too.
RACE-BY-RACE ISSUE GUIDES + LATEST ELECTION NEWS + LIVE RESULTS
Voting ends at 7 p.m.
As long as you vote by 7 p.m. today, your ballot will be counted. It’s too late, however, to mail your ballot back to your county clerk. You must turn your ballot in at a drop box or in-person voting center if you want it to be counted.
You can also vote in person if you’ve lost or damaged your ballot, or if that’s just your preference. In-person voting centers open at 7 a.m. today and won’t close until 7 p.m. — or until everyone who was in line to vote at 7 p.m. has finished casting their ballot.
There’s even still time to vote if you’re not registered.
Colorado allows same-day voter registration, so you can even register to vote and cast a ballot up until polls close.
To find a nearby drop box or polling location, visit this site. You can also check your voter registration status here.
What to do if you’re an unaffiliated voter
Unaffiliated voters, who make up more than half of the state’s electorate, may participate in Colorado’s June 30 primaries thanks to a 2016 ballot measure approved by voters.
Active, registered unaffiliated voters will receive both a Democratic and Republican primary ballot. They may only fill out and return one.
If you’re an unaffiliated voter and you try to cast both a Democratic and Republican primary ballot this year, both will be rejected.
Do I need identification to vote?
If you vote in person or are voting by mail for the first time, you must present identification such as a driver’s license or U.S. passport. This list details the acceptable forms of identification.
Otherwise, no, you do not need ID to vote in Colorado.
How do I know my ballot will count?
Voters can sign up at BallotTrax to track their ballot. You’ll receive an email, text or both when your ballot is accepted.
Who is on the ballot?
Dozens of races are being decided across the state. We interviewed candidates running in some of the most competitive and consequential races. Find them below:
- Where Democrats Alex Kelloff, Dwayne Romero stand on the issues in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District primary
- Where the 3 Republicans running to be Colorado’s next governor stand on the top issues
- Where the Republican candidates in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District stand on the top issues
- Where the Democratic candidates for Colorado attorney general stand on the big issues
- Where Michael Bennet, Phil Weiser stand on the issues in Colorado’s Democratic primary for governor
- Where John Hickenlooper, Julie Gonzales stand on the issues in Colorado’s Democratic US Senate primary
- Where Amanda Gonzalez, Jessie Danielson stand on the issues in Colorado’s Democratic primary for secretary of state
- Where Diana DeGette, Melat Kiros and Wanda James stand on the issues in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District primary
- Where Shannon Bird and Manny Rutinel stand on the issues in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District primary
Where can I find results?
Results will start being posted soon after polls close at 7 p.m. tonight.
The Colorado Sun has a live results page here that will be updated in real time.
Your county clerk’s website will also have local results. For statewide ballot returns, visit the Colorado Secretary of State’s website. (Our results page typically posts live results faster than the state’s website.)
How will The Colorado Sun be covering the races?
The Sun won’t launch stories on a race until it has been called or if we won’t know the results before the end of the night. Early results are just that and we don’t want to mislead our readers.
That being said, if you want to track minute-by-minute ballot returns, our live results page is a great place to camp out.
We’re expecting a lot of last-minute ballots this year, which means the counting process may be slow. Most counties typically report results counted through about midnight on Election Day and then return to finish counting Wednesday.
Our staff is fanning out across the state to talk to voters and attend campaigns’ watch parties. We will bring you updates as fast as we get them!